The International Date Line is a consequence of the worldwide use of timekeeping systems arranged so that local noon corresponds approximately to the time at which the sun crosses the local meridian of longitude (see Standard Time).
Why do we need International Date Line?
international date line, imaginary line on the earth’s surface, generally following the 180° meridian of longitude, where, by international agreement, travelers change dates. ... The date line is necessary to avoid a confusion that would otherwise result .
What does the International Date Line serve?
The date line, which roughly follows the 180-degree meridian, is about halfway around the globe from the prime meridian, which measures 0-degrees longitude. The date line helps divide the world into 24 time zones . Crossing the date line either adds 24 hours or subtracts 24 hours from a traveler’s day.
What countries does the International Date Line go through?
Accordingly, Samoa, Tokelau, Wallis and Futuna, Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu, and New Zealand’s Kermadec Islands and Chatham Islands are all west of the IDL and have the same date. American Samoa, the Cook Islands, Niue, and French Polynesia are east of the IDL and one day behind. The IDL then bends southwest to return to 180°.
Where does the day start in the world?
Each day on Earth begins at midnight in Greenwich, England , where the prime meridian is located. Originally, the prime meridian’s purpose was to help ships at sea find their longitude and determine accurately their position on the globe.
Where does time start in the world?
All time zones are measured from a starting point centered at England’s Greenwich Observatory . This point is known as the Greenwich Meridian or the Prime Meridian. Time at the Greenwich Meridian is known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or Universal Time.
Where is the date line on earth?
The International Date Line, established in 1884, passes through the mid-Pacific Ocean and roughly follows a 180 degrees longitude north-south line on the Earth. It is located halfway round the world from the prime meridian—the zero degrees longitude established in Greenwich, England, in 1852.
Do you lose a day crossing the International Date Line?
The international date line (IDL) is an imaginary line that runs along the Earth’s surface from the North Pole to the South Pole in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. When you cross it, you either gain or lose a day depending on which way you are traveling .
Why International Date Line is zigzag?
It is an imaginary line, like longitudes and latitudes. ... So, the date changes as soon as one crosses this line . To avoid any confusion of date, this line is drawn through where the sea lies and not land. Hence, the IDL is drawn in a zig-zag manner.
What American city is closest to the International Date Line?
Last updated Dec 29 2016. Answer has 6 votes. Gisborne, North Island New Zealand is the closest city to the International Dateline, and so you sees the sunrise before any other city in the world.
Who decided the International Date Line?
In October 1884 astronomers and representatives from 25 countries convened in Washington at the International Meridian Conference to recommend a common prime meridian for geographical and nautical charts that would be acceptable to all parties concerned.
Is there an island on the International Date Line?
Three islands that are part of Fiji — Vanua Levu, Rambi and Taveuni — are the only islands actually crossed by the 180-degree line, according to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. That line also crosses Wrangel Island, part of the far northeast of Russia and Antarctica.
What country is 24 hours ahead of us?
The nation of Samoa also observed the same time as the Samoa Time Zone until it moved across the International Date Line at the end of 29 December 2011; it is now 24 hours (25 hours in southern hemisphere summer) ahead of American Samoa.
What country hits midnight first?
The celebrations generally go on past midnight into New Year’s Day, 1 January. The Line Islands (part of Kiribati) and Tonga , are examples of the first places to welcome the New Year, while Baker Island (an uninhabited atoll part of the United States Minor Outlying Islands) and American Samoa are among the last.
Who invented the time zones?
This was the dream articulated by Scottish-Canadian engineer Sandford Fleming and officially adopted by diplomats at the 1884 Prime Meridian Conference in Washington, D.C.: a world divided into 24 zones, each with a single mean time determined by astronomers at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.
Which country has the most time zones?
Russia : The only country in the world that has all its time zones over the mainland is Russia. Once the biggest country in the world, Russia has 11 time zones. Russia is the country to have most consecutive number of time zones.
